Oakland Officials Want to Ban Flavored Blunt Wrappers

Are you from Oakland, California? Are you a fan of cherry flavored blunts? If you said, “Yes” to both of these questions then your probably wondering what in the world your local leaders are doing. Annie Campbell Washington and Larry Reid are looking to stop all sales for cherry flavored blunts in Oakland.

The two are sponsoring legislation that would bar the sale of flavored tobacco products, including vape juice for e-cigarettes and for good measure to prevent sales for cigars sold as 1 or 2 per package.

They say that their proposal is suppose to prevent kids from smoking, but is more likely due to the fact that many young adults use the blunt wrappers to roll marijuana joints.

Two of the biggest suppliers of blunt wraps are Zig Zag cigars and Backwoods Cigars, which both have flavors like “Wham Bam Watermelon” and “Honey Berry,” which are sold in colorful packaging that resembles bags of candy. Popular cigarillos made by Swisher and Backwoods also come in fruit and candy flavors.

As far as vaping flavors go there are literally hundreds of flavors to choose from with several being candy, or gummy bear and chocolate related. This has critics concerned with kids being encouraged by the flavors.

There is a federal law banning candy and fruit flavored cigarettes, but there is no federal, or state law that regulates what kinds of flavors tobacco companies put into cigars, smokeless tobacco and vaping oils.

Campbell Washington was able to enact a soda tax law in Oakland, CA but a move to ban flavored cigar wrappers could prove to be more difficult. These wraps are popular amongst the “Heads” and it could very well prove out that they will get the last say on how they decide to smoke their weed.

The Oakland City Council will hold an initial hearing on the tobacco rules at the April 25 meeting of the Life Enrichment Committee.